EE236: Experiment 5

Schottky Diode IV Characterization and

Transient Analysis
Savaliya Abhishek Jagdishkumar
21D070065
11 September, 2023

1 Introduction
1.1 Aims of the Experiment
Part 1:
1. To plot the forward and reverse bias I/V characteristics of 2 fabri-
cated metal-semiconductor junction diodes (one Schottky contact and
another Ohmic contact) using a probe station.
Part 2:
1. To plot the forward and reverse bias I/V characteristics of the given
packaged Schottky diode.

2. To obtain the reverse recovery times of a regular PN junction diode

and a Schottky diode and compare the two.

1.2 Methodology
For both parts, we used the below circuit to measure I-V characteristics. By
changing 1k pot, we were measuring Vd and Id values. I-V characteristics
were measured for both fabricated metal-semiconductor junction diodes as
well as for the 1N5822 Schottky diode.

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 For part 2 (b), below circuit was used to measure transit time. RRT
(Reverse Recovery Time) was measured for both PN and Schottky diodes.

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2 Observations and Calculations
2.1 I-V characterization (both forward and reverse) of
the fabricated diode samples
1015 cm-3 Doping Sample:
1. Forward Bias Characteristics: At low doping concentrations (1015
cm-3 ), the diode exhibits a gradual current increase with voltage, fol-
lowing the Shockley diode equation. This behavior resembles a typical
pn-junction diode.
2. Reverse Bias Characteristics: In the reverse bias region, the sample
exhibits low leakage current and well-defined depletion regions, similar
to a standard pn-junction diode.

1019 cm-3 Doping Sample:

1. Forward Bias Characteristics: The higher doping concentration
(1019 cm-3 ) results in reduced depletion region width, causing the diode
to exhibit less exponential behavior in the forward bias region, resem-
bling an Ohmic contact with a less steep curve.
2. Reverse Bias Characteristics: The higher doping may lead to in-
creased leakage current and behavior resembling a Schottky diode, with
a rapid rise in reverse current.

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 Based on these observations, the 1015 cm-3 doping sample is likely to
have an Schottky contact, behaving like a standard pn-junction diode. The
1019 cm-3 doping sample is more likely to have a ohmic contact or a similar
behavior due to its high doping concentration.
Depletion Width Calculation for Schottky Diode
Now for Schottky contact, the built-in voltage is 0.63V while Doping
concentration (Nd = 1015 cm−3 ). We calculate the depletion widths for a
Schottky diode under different bias conditions using the formula:
s
2ϵSi (Vbi − VA )
W =
qNd
Results:

1. Applied Bias Voltage (VA = 0 V)

• Depletion Width (W ): 0.90 µm

At zero bias, the wider depletion width is typical for a Schottky diode.

2. Applied Bias Voltage (VA = 0.5 V)

• Depletion Width (W ): 0.41 µm

A reduced depletion width under a 0.5 V forward bias is consistent

with Schottky diode behavior.

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 These values align with the expected behavior of a Schottky diode, where
the depletion width decreases under forward bias, allowing easier carrier flow
across the metal-semiconductor interface.

2.2 RRTs of the PN and Schottky diode

First, we measured the I-V characteristics of the 1N5822 Schottky diode.

Then we measured RRTs for normal diode as well as Schottky diode and
here are our observations:

Figure 1: RRT for P-N diode

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 Figure 2: RRT for Schottky diode

1. PN Junction Diode:

• Measured RRT: 1.28 microseconds (µs)

Reverse recovery time is the time taken by a diode to switch from

conducting in the forward bias mode to blocking in the reverse bias
mode. In this case, it indicates the relatively slower transition time for
the PN junction diode.

2. Schottky Diode:

• Measured RRT: 320 nanoseconds (ns)

Schottky diodes are known for their fast switching characteristics, and
this shorter RRT demonstrates their ability to switch rapidly between
forward and reverse bias modes.

3 Conclusion
In this experiment, we aimed to characterize metal-semiconductor junction
diodes with different contacts, specifically Schottky and Ohmic. For schottky
contact, we further found out that depletion width decreases under forward
bias.

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 The later part of the experiment revealed distinct behaviors in the I-
V characteristics, with the Schottky diode demonstrating a rapid switching
capability in comparison to the PN junction diode. These results underscore
the significant impact of contact type on diode performance.

4 References
I used python coding for all plots, you can refer: https://colab.research.
google.com/drive/1Kk203PgM3yWywNKYykl8qwbFqYZRz4DP?usp=sharing